Universal timepiece.



PATENTED FEB. 6, 1968.

I. F. PHEILS.

UNIVERSAL TIMEPIEGE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 30, 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

I. F. PHEILS.

UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.30.1904.

2 SHEETS-$53131 2.

w-i'bmcwco My I I v 1 I l I. {g v Y Q 'I. if;

'fil i'oznem UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6'. 1906.

Application filed January 80, 1904. Serial No. 191,351-

To all] whom, it may concern.- Be it known that I, ISAAC F. PnEILs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodville, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Universal Timepiece, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a universal timepiece by means of which the time in any part of the world. may be ascertained without the necessity of calculation. Timepieces of this character are known as geographical watches or clocks and embody a local-time dial traversed by hour and minute hands, as usual, and a universal dial, the latter bearing t'wenty-four-hour designations movable with reference to a geographical dial bearing certain geographical designations and subdivided by lines indicating standard meridians of longitude dividing the earths surface into what are known as time-belts. The universal dial makes a complete rotation once in twenty-four hours, its movement thus corresponding to the apparent movement of the sun around the world and serving to present the hour designations thereon in succession to each standard-time meridian forthe purpose of indicating the hour in a given belt at a given time. It will of course be understood that the twenty-four time-belts are bisected by the twenty-four standard meridians of longitude, each belt extending seven and one-half degrees east and west of its meridian. The minutes before or past the hour in any given belt areindicated by the minutehand of the local-time mechanism, since when the minute-hand is at twelve each of the several twenty-four designations on the universal dial will be directly opposite a standard meridian, and during one complete traverse of the local-time dial by the minute-hand each hour designation on the universal dial will advance from one standard meridian to the next. It follows, therefore, that the minute-hand not only serves to indicate the number of minutes past the hour designated by the hour-hand, but also designates the min utes past the hour indicated at any time-belt by the adjacent hour designation on the universal dial.

In timepieces of the character specified it is usual to arrange the stationary local-time dial at the center and to surround this by the universal dial, which is in turn surrounded by the-stationary geographical dial or map. This arrangement necessitates a complication of the structure, involving, for instance, the provision of a fixed sleeve surrounding the and-arbors for the support of the stationary local-time dial and serving as a sup: port or axis for the sleeve carrying the uni versal dial.

One of the primary objects of my present mvention is to simplify the arrangement b placing the universaldial instead of the local dial at the center of the watch or clock and by utilizing a combination local and geographical dial retained at its outer margin and surrounding the rotary universal dial, the bearing-sleeve of the latter directly surrounding the arbor of the hour-hand instead of being carried by the extra supporting-sleeve usually provided for the support of the localtime dial.

A further object of the invention, which is attained by this rearrangement, is to bring out the hours of the local dial prominently and at the same time to give as much space as possible for the geographical abbreviations indicating continents, oceans, citi'es,&c., on what may be termed the geographical area of the combination-dial.

Another objectionable feature of the ordinar'y forms of geographical timepieces is that in order to set the watch for difierent timestandards-that is to say, for central, eastern, Pacific, or mountain time-it is necessary to remove the hands from the arbors and to effect their reattachment in their set positions.

A further object of my invention, there fore, is to provide means whereby the universal dial may be held stationary during the independent setting of the hands by the operation of the usual forms of setting mechanism found in standard makes of watches and clocks.

To the accomplishment of the recited objects and others subordinate thereto the preferred embodiment of the invention comprehends that construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of a watch constructed in accordance with my invention. Fi 2 is a similar view with the hands and dia s removed and the hand-arbors in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of so much of a watch as is necessary for the present purpose, the section being indicated y the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view of a portion of a clock con struction arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of certain elements shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of one of the frictionsprings, and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the pull-rod shown in Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts in the several views.

1 indicates the case of a watch equipped with a combination-dial 2, having a central opening for the reception of what may be termed the universal dial 3 haying a coaxial sleeve 4 surrounding the hour-hand arbor 5 of the Watch. The combination-dial 2 is stationary and is divided into inner and outer areas,respeetively, constituting a localtime dial 6 and a geographical dial 7. The local-time dial 6 bears, as usual, twelve hour designations, its margin or peripher bearing sixty equidistant graduations in 'ie-ating minutes. The geographical dial is divided by twenty-four standard meridian-lines 8 of contrasting color, radially disposed and extended entirely across the combination-dial that is to say, the standard-meridian lines, indicating the twenty-four meridians of longitude which have been selected as time-standards, extend from the outer edge of the watch-face to the edge of the universal dial 3. The geo raphical dial 7 or the geographical area. of t e combination-dial is, in fact, a condensed map, it being a projection of the world with the center of the watch consti-' tuting the north pole. This map is made up of any desired geographical data. For instance, in the accompanying drawings continents, oceans, and other geographical subdivisions are designated by the names thereof printed upon the ma at such points as these divisions occur, Whi e small political divisionsas, for instancecities, are indicated by abbreviation as, for instance, initials. In addition to this geographical data the several standard meridians are numbered, and the one hundred and eightieth meridian is additionally designated' by the word Date, indicating that this is the arbitrary date-line where the day veritably begins and ends. Furthermore, the forty-fifth, sixtieth, sevent -fifth, ninetieth, one hundred and fifth, and one hundred and twentieth meridians are marked by abbreviations, indicating that these are the standard meridians for Brazilian, Newfoundland, eastern, central, mountain, and Pacific time, res ectively.

The universal dial 3, which is designed to make one complete rotation in twenty-four hours, bears upon its surface twenty-four hour designations. In the present instance these designations are the numbers 1 to 12 arran ed in two series, one-half of the dial being s aded to indicate night as distinguished from day, indicated by the light side of the dial. It should be understood, however, that it is immaterial what particularhour desi nations are employed on the universal dia it being obvious that the dial may benumbered from 1 to24. if thismetliod is preferred.

The hourhand 8 is attached to the hourhand arbor 5 in the usual manner, and the minute-hand 9 is attached to the upper end of the minute-hand arbor 10, said arb ors being provided with gear-wheels 11 and 12, meshmg with and driven by gears 13 and 14 of the power-train. Since the universal dial 3 is designed to rotate at one-half the speed of the hour-hand-'that is to say, once in twentyfour hours-it could be geared directly to the gear-wheel 11 on the arbor 5. This is not done, however, for the reason that in different makes of watches the number of teeth in the gears vary, and oneof the objects of the present invention is to arrange the extra parts so that they are capable of application to timepieces of many makes. Therefore in equipping a watch of ordinary construction w th the mechanism for indicating universal time I place loosely upon the hour-hand arbor 5 agear-wheel 15, imposed against the upper side face of the gear 11 and retained in frictional engagement therewith by an annular spring 16,backed by a projection on the arbor 5, this projection being formed, as, for instance, by the lower end of a sleeve 17, surrounding the arbor 5- and rigid therewith. The ear-wheel 15 thus frictionally connected with the hour-hand arbor is in mesh with a gear 18 of like diameter, mounted on a post 19, supported by the upperplate 2.0 of the movement. To the upper side of the gear 18 is secured a somewhat smaller ear-wheel 21, meshing with a com arative y large gearwheel 22, fixed to the ower end of the bearing sleeve 4 of the universal dial 3. (See Fig. 3.) It will be noted that since the gears 15 and 18 are of like diameters 'and since the gears 21 and 22 bear the relation of two to one the universal dial will be driven from the hour-hand arbor, but at one-half the speed thereof. In other words, the gearing 1s so proportioned that the hour-hand will traverse the local-time dial twice during each com plete rotation of the universal dial.

It will now be seen by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein the hands are adjusted for central time, that when it is one minute ast seven in the central timethat is to say, m that belt bisected by the ninetieth degree of longitude-it will be one minute past one a. m. at the prime meridian, or the meridian of Greenwich, from which longitude is reckoned and upon which London is located. If now the hour-hand moves from 7 to 8 on the local-time dial, the digit 1 will simultaneously move from the prime meridian to the fifteenth meridian and will be replaced at the prime meridian by the numeral 2.

IIO

During this movement of the hour hand from one hour to another on the local-tune dial and of the hour designation on the univertherefore serves as a universal minute-hand,

because it marks the progress of the hour indicated by any of the hour designations onthe universal scale in precisely the same manner that it indicates the progress of the hour indicated by the hour-hand of the local-time scale. What has been said of the relation of the universal dial to the prime meridian is true of every other standard meridian on the dial, since the hour designations on the uni versal dial will indicate the hour in every time-belt at any given period of time, it being understood that as there is exactly one hours difference between the time of each belt the number of the hours will differ, while the number of minutes past or before the'hour will be the same in every instance.

It has been stated that when it is desired to readjust the hands of the watch to indicate local time at different places it has heretofore been necessary .to remove the hands from the arbors and refix them in their new positions. This is undesirable, and I have therefore provided the described arrangement for procuring a frictional engagement 1n therod, so as to prevent lateral movement" between the universal dial and the hour-hand arbor, and in addition I have provided a simple and efficient stop mechanism by means of which the universal dial may be locked against movement, so that its relation to the standard meridians of longitude may not be disturbed while the hands of the watch are being set for central, eastern, or other time. While many forms of stop mechanism may be employed, I prefer to mount upon the front plate 20 of the movement a brakespring 23, having a curved end 24 and a.

knurled face disposed to engage the periphery of the gear-wheel 18, constituting an elernent of the train which drives the universal dial 3. The resiliency of the spring 23 normally retains it out of engagement with the gear; but when it is desired .to set the watch said spring is moved to its engaging position by a cam 25, formed at one end of what may be termed a stop-rod 26, having one end thereof extended to the periphery of the watch-case for convenient manipulation. The rod 26 is suitably guidedas, for instance, by pins 27, one of which islocated in a slot 28 thereof. It therefore follows that when the .cam 25 will engage thespring 23 and urge it into engagement with the gear-wheel 18, the

extremity of the springfirst engagim the wheel and the curved portion thereof heing subsequently urged into engaging posltion to insure the locking of the wheel 18, and consequently the locking of the universal dial against movement. llaving locked the dial, the hands may be set by the manipulation of the setting mechanism of the watch in the ordinary manner to change from one time standard to another. It is also possible to set the handsfor exact sun-time, since the sun-- time bears a definite relation to standard time at different meridians.

In clock constructions the leading characteristics heretofore described are preserved. In Fig. 4 is shown a sectional view of a portion of a clock in which the combination-dial 2 is supported at its outer periphery in a manner similar to the watch construction.

The universal dial 3 is provided with a bearing-sleeve 4, surrounding the hour-hand arbor 5, in which rotates the independent minute-hand arborlO. An extra pinion 29 is attached to one of the shafts of the movement and is arranged to engage and drive a gear-wheel 30, having frictional connection with the sleeve 4 of the universal dial 3 This frictional engagement is preferably offected by interposing the gear 30 loosely between a pair of fixed collars 31 and 32 on the sleeve 4, one of these collars serving as a backing for a friction-spring 33, bearing against one face of the wheel 30, This manner of connection causes the universal dial 3 to move normally with the gear 30 as the lat ter is driven by the clock movement, but permits the dial to be held stationary without interfering with the movement of the gear 30 as the hands of the watch are turned-in setting. In this construction the stop mechanism instead of being applied to an element of the gearing between the hour-hand arbor and the sleeve of the universal dial is applied to the sleevediroctly. This stop mechanism is in the form of a push-rod 34, slidably mounted on the front face-plate 35 of the movement and having a knurled inner end 36 arranged for presentation to the knurled periphery of the collar 31 of the sleeve 4. The outer extremity of the push-rod 34 is provided with a finger-piece 37, exposed at a convenient point to facilitate the manipulation of the rod. Ordinarily the stop mechanism is in its retracted position to permit the universal dial to move with the hands; but when it is, desired to set the clock this stop mechanism is-pushed in, thus causing the universal dial to be held stationary while the hands are i being adjusted in an obvious manner.

Attention may now be directed to the ,sev-

.eral salient points of novelty embraced by both forms of the invention. First, the rotary universal dial is located at the center of the timepiece, and is supported directly by the hour-hand arbor and retained'in place by the hands, andis-s urrounded bythe two fixed dialst.o wit, the loca1' time "dial and the geographical dialeach of the several dials beinglocatcd in the same plane as'distinguished from ordinary constructions wherein the inner dial is a fixed local-ti me dial located in a separate plane; second, the local-time dial instead of being provided with an independent support is integral with the geographical dial, which is supported at its periphery, and, third, the universal dial is connected to its operating mechanism by the interposition of a friction device or clutch and is provided with stop mechanism for holding the dial stationary to prevent the disturbance of its relation to the standard meridians as imiting myself to the structural details defined, as, on the contrary, I reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structures as may fall fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim as new is 1. In a geographical timepiece, the combination with hour and minute arbors and the usual hour and minute hands arranged to make a complete traversein twelve hours and one hour, respectively, of a rotatable twentyfour-hour dial surrounding the hour-arbor and rotatable in the same direction as the hourhand and once in twenty-four hours, a rigid twelve-hour local-time dial surroundin the twenty-four-hour dial, and a geogra hica dial surrounding and su porting the ocal-time dial, the severaldia s being located in substantially the same plane.

2. In a eographical timepiece, the combination wit hour and minute hands and their arbors, of a twenty-four-hour dial rotatable on thehour-arbor in the same direction as the hour-hand but at a different s eed and held in place by the hands, a ri 'i twelve-hour local-time dial surrounding the twenty-fourhour dial, and a peripherally-secured geogra hical dial surrounding the local-time dia and su porting the same, the several dials being ocated in the same plane and standard-meridian lines extending over both the local-time dial and thegeographical dial groin the periphery ofthe twenty-four-hour nation wit a twenty-four-hour dial, a twelvehour dial, and a geo aphical dial, one of said dials being rotatab e, of hour and minute hands, driving mechanism common to the 3. In a eographical timepiece,'the combi-' hands and rotary dial and having frictional connection with the latter, and stop mechanism for holding the rotary dial stationary during the setting of the hands, whereby the necessity for turning the dial back after the hands have been set is avoided.

4. In a geographical timepiece, the combination with the hands, a rotary twenty-four hour dial, a fixed local-time dial, and a fixed geographical dial, of driving mechanism for the rotary dial and the hands, a friction device normally connecting the rotary dial with its driving mechanism, and stop mechanism for holding the said dial stationary during the settin of the timepiece.

5. In a geographical timepiece, the combination with hour and minute hands and their arbors, of a tWentyfour-hour dial rotatable on the hour-arbor and retained in place by the hour-hand, said dial making one complete rotation every twenty-four hours and moving in the same direction as the hourhand, and a stationary combinationdial comprising a local twelve-hour dial, and a geographical dial divided by twenty-four equidistant staiulard-meridian lines properly numbered, each alternate line being disposed midway between two hour designations of the local-time dial.

6. In a geographical timepiece the combination with hour and minute hands and their arbors, of a twenty-four-hour dial rotatable on the hour-arbor, a stationary combination dial located in the plane of the twenty-fourhour dial and comprising a local twelve-hour dial, and a geographical dial divided by twenty-four equidistant standard-meridian lines properly numbered, each alternate line being disposed midway between two hour designations of the local-time dial, and gearing whereby the minute-hand makes a complete traverse each hour, the hour-hand each twelve hours and the twenty-four-hour dial each twenty-four hours, the hour-hand indicatin the hour on the local dial, the twentyfourour dial indicating the hour at any standard meridian, and the minute-hand serving to indicate the minutes past the hour designated by both the hourhand and the twenty-four-hour dial.

7. In a geographical timepiece the combination with hour and minute hands and their arbors, of a twenty-four-hour dial rotatable on the hour-arbor once in twenty-four hours, a stationary combination-dial comprising a local twelve-hour dial and a geographical dial divided by twenty-four equidistant hands.

8. In a geographical timepiece, the combination with a rigid twelve-hour local-time dial and a geographical dial surrounding and supporting the same, of hour and minute hands and their arbors, mechanism for rotating said arbors, a twenty-four-hour dial rotatable on the hour-arbor and located in the plane of the first-named dials, a gear-wheel mounted on the hour-arbor, a friction device connecting said gear-wheel to the arbor, and gearing operatively connecting said gear- Wheel to the tWenty-four-hour dial.

9. In a geographical timepiece, the combination with a rigid twelve-hour local-time dial and a geographical dial surrounding and supportin the same, of hour and minute hands an their arbors, a tWenty-four-hour ISAAC F. PHEILS.

Witnesses:

C. C. LAYMAN, E. A. LAYMAN. 

